But the 23-year-old will still be riding high after girlfriend Charlotte Caslick led the Australian women's team to gold medal glory in Rio.

Holland, who grew up on a farm at Braidwood, suffered the cruel injury blow in Australia's second game of the tournament and his absence put a major dent in the team's hopes of claiming a medal.

Australia lost its opening match against France but launched a second-half fightback to beat Spain 26-12 in their second game.

Former Queanbeyan scrumhalf James Stannard stepped up in Holland's absence, but Australia was knocked out of medal contention by South Africa in the quarter-final.

Canberra's Tom Cusack scored Australia's only try in their loss to South Africa.

"We put a whole lot of hard work in over the last two years and to bow out so early is obviously shattering," said Australia captain Ed Jenkins.

"I thought we bounced back well from yesterday's performance to stay alive but it was a completely different South African side which fronted up today for that last game."

Holland has been playing for Australia since 2011 after leaving St Edmund's College.

Injury also forced him to miss the 2014 Commonwealth Games campaign, where the Australian team won a bronze medal.

His partner, Caslick, was one of Australia's best players in the women's tournament in Rio.

She played a leading role when they beat New Zealand in the gold-medal match.

"I was never going to make injuries an excuse if I didn't make it to the Olympics," Holland said before competing in Rio.

"I've had injuries before that stopped me from going to the Commonwealth Games and that's part of rugby.”

He said when he was going to school, he never thought about being an Olympian, or even going to an Olympic Games.

"I was thinking about going up north and chasing cattle or being a builder or something. So to go to an Olympics is amazing."